I have been waiting for months to see this, ever since I saw the first preview with the beautiful images of Max and the Wild Thing – “I didn’t want to wake you, but there’s something I want to show you…” and the opening strains of The Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up”.

Many people have wondered how you can make a movie out of what amounts to be a 10 page picture book. Not only how, but whether you even should, given that said picture book is beloved by people the world over and is a cherished piece of many, many childhoods. It would be a daunting task, of that I have no doubt. But Spike Jonze has done an incredible, incredible job.

Where the Wild Things Are is a movie about Max. Max is out of control, so says his Mom, and after he gets in trouble with her and runs off (here is where the movie differs from the book), he has a great adventure in a far off land where he discovers his new friends, the Wild Things. They anoint him as their king, and everything is fun and simple and fantastic.

Until it’s not.

Max discovers that his new friends are often angry, childish, hurt & lonely, and sometimes feel neglected. It is hard, he learns, to be king and make everything perfect, as the Wild Things expect him to do.

I won’t go further into detail, but suffice it to say that the film lived up to my expectations and beyond. Max Records (who plays Max) does a brilliant job of being both angry and hurt. The Wild Things are incredible, and I had no idea a puppet could be that emotive – Carol almost made me cry near the end. The best part by far is the dialogue. It is pure and straight from the heart of a 9 year old. Or, you know, Dave Eggers and Spike Jones. They killed it. It made me laugh in pure glee, as well as with that quiet chuckle of remembrance and recognition.

Where the Wild Things Are is a film about a child. It is darker than your typical children’s fair these days, but I also think children would enjoy it. Their parents may enjoy it more.